Ask Lafeber

Cloaca functions

Where do the feces and the egg meet up? In the Cloaca?

Hi Mari,

Here is the response from Dr. Lamb: There are three anatomical locations in the cloaca. The coprodeum, urodeum and proctodeum. The feces will empty into and stay in the coprodeum which is at the highest part of the cloaca. The egg and urates are released into the urodeum. But everything exits through the proctodeum. There are little folds marking the boundaries between these and while defecating the coprodeum can sort of compress down, pinching off the urodeum and connecting to the proctodeum to allow feces to exit here.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda